Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante, has raised serious concerns over the entrenched culture of accepting gifts by sitting presidents, warning that it presents a dangerous and potentially irreparable conflict of interest.
According to Dr. Asante, the current framework governing gift acceptance is riddled with loopholes that could allow for abuse.
He cited the ambiguous limits around monetary gifts, questioning whether a $20,000 threshold applies annually or could be manipulated through repeated monthly gifts that individually fall under the cap but cumulatively far exceed it.
He emphasized that such practices, though perhaps technically within existing rules, could undermine public trust and create situations ripe for undue influence.
“The objective should not be to create value that incentivizes conflict of interest. These scenarios are difficult to monitor and nearly impossible to assess in terms of the giver’s intent,” he cautioned.
His comments come amid intensifying debate over asset declaration, transparency, and conflict of interest in public office.
Dr. Asante also criticized the practice of high-value gifts, such as vehicles, being returned to the state pool after being declared by President John Dramani Mahama, arguing that the symbolic gesture does little to mitigate the conflict such gifts inherently represent.
“When gifts of such magnitude are involved, it’s impossible to determine whether the president is influenced or not. That’s why such gifts should simply be avoided altogether,” he stated.
He called for a complete overhaul of Ghana’s presidential gift policy, stressing the need to adopt global best practices and set clearer thresholds.
“Changing entrenched behaviors will be uncomfortable, but if Ghana is serious about resetting governance standards, there must be no room for these practices,” he concluded.
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Source: Comfort Sweety Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
